When Latimer-Nicholas got to the emergency room, she was called in right away to talk with a doctor; a moment that remains difficult for her to talk about.

“Once they did that,” Latimer-Nicholas said in a series of sentences interrupted by long pauses as she remembered that horrible night. “I knew he was gone. It was hard because he wasn’t at the hospital. So I didn’t even get to see him. I never even got to see him.”

Her son left behind a daughter whom Latimer is raising.

Grief returns easily to her face when she talks about what happened, but memories of her son changes that.

“Charming,” she says with a smile. “He was charming. He had a beautiful smile. Kind heart. Good friend. Good father.”

The Steven K. Latimer 5k has become more than a fundraiser, according to mom behind it, but awareness only goes so far.

This year, the Greater Providence YMCA is a sponsor and partner of the event. A good fit, according to Latimer-Nicholas, who tells us her foundation has provided seven scholarships, with hope to raise enough money to one day help even more.

“For families who may not be able to afford a boys and girls club or an after-school program,” she said.